Illuminating means for floor polishers



June 29, 1954 GERBER 2,682,604

INVENTOH. pale L". Gerber BY 7 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 29, v 1954 ILLUMINATING MEANS FOR FLOO BOLISHERS Dale C.Gerber, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, NorthCanton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application October 27, 1949, Serial No. 123,910

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to floor polishers and more particularly to anilluminator to indicate to the operator the degree of polish which hasbeen applied to a surface.

Specifically, according to this invention, a light is mounted on thepolisher in a position to direct light rays rearwardly of the directionof movement of the polisher onto the surface being polished beneath thepropelling handle whereby the operator may readily observe the degree ofpolish which has been applied to the surface. The light is preferablypositioned on the polisher so that the light rays projected from thelight will be directed onto the surface immediately to the rear of thecleaner and at an angle such that the light rays will be reflected fromthe polished surface to the eye of the operator by a simple manipulationof the handle.

Thus, if the surface is dull aand unpolished the operator will observeno gloss and will know that additional polishing action is needed. If aslight polish has been applied, the operator will also so observe andapply additional polishing action. When a bright polish has beenattained bright light rays will be reflected to the operators eye fromthe polished surface to indicate that the polish is satisfactory.Additionally, due to the reflecting action of the waxed surface, anyunpolished streaks or spots will be immediately detected as the operatorpropels the polisher over the floor.

This application is an improvement over a copending application for U.S. Letters Patent by Dale C. Gerber and John E. Vance, Serial No.123,909, filed concurrently herewith.

In the application above referred to, a light is mounted upon thepolisher body in a position to direct light rays over a limited areaimmediately to the rear of the polisher beneath the handle and at suchan angle that the light rays will be reflected from the polished surfaceto the operators eye. However, in the normal polishing operation withmodern polishers the angle of the handle relative to the floor variesduring the polishing operation and also with operators of differentheights- According to the present invention the light is mounted uponthe polisher so as to move concurrently with movements of the handleduring normal operation and when the polisher is used by operators ofdifferent heights the handle may be manipulated so that the angle ofincidence of the light rays onto the polished surface will be such thatthe light rays will be reflected from the polished surface to theoperahandle to move therewith so that the light rays may be projected tothe polished surface at such an angle as to be reflected to theoperators eye.

According to another modification of the invention the light is appliedto a polisher in which the handle is rigid with the body of the polisherand the light is so mounted as to direct light rays downwardly andrearwardly onto the polished surface at such an angle to be reflected tothe operators eye upon manipulation of the handle.

In the second modification the light is mounted beneath the hood of thepolisher and has a rearwardly directed light transmitting channel oflimited area to direct light rays downwardly and rearwardly onto thesurface being polished and a forwardly directed light transmittingpassageway to direct light rays forwardly of the polisher over arelatively large area of the surface being polished.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent asthe description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings in which;

Figure 1 shows an end view of a polisher of known construction having ahandle pivoted thereto by means of a bail with a light mounted on thehandle bail in a position to direct light rays downwardly and rearwardlyonto the surface when the handleis positioned in normal operatingposition; and

Figure 2 shows a floor polisher of the horizontally rotating brush typewith a handle rigidly connected to the body of the polisher with a lightmounted on the handle in a position to direct light rays both rearwardlyand forwardly onto the surface being polished.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings the reference numeral I0 representsthe body of a polisher of known construction. The frame it carries tworotating polishing brushes, one of which is shown at l l, which arerotated in opposite directions by a gear train driven by a motor (notshown). The motor and gear train are mounted on the body [0 beneath ahood 42 having a window it immediately in front of a light M toilluminate the area in front of the polisher.

Pivoted to the frame H1 at [5 by means of a forked bail I6 is a handle Hwhich is shown in dotted lines normally extended upwardly and rearwardlyat an angle to the surface being polished during normal polishingoperations.

The bail I6 is provided with a socket l8 for receiving the handle I! andwith a recess [9 immediately below the socket. A light is suitablymounted in the recess l9 and the rear wall of the recess is cut away toprovide a window 2| facing downwardly and rearwardly so as to directlight rays from the light 20 downwardly and rearwardly onto the surfaceimmediately rearwardly of the frame II] when the handle is posiitoned atan angle as in normal use. The angle of the projected light rays is suchthat the handle may be manipulated whereby light rays are reflected fromthe floor surface to the eye of the operator for inspection of thepolished surface.

In the modification of Fig. 2 the polisher is of the single horizontalaxis brush type. The brush 30 is rotatably mounted on the lower end of aframe 3! and is driven by suitable gearing from an electric motor housedwithin a motor housing 32 at the top of the frame 3|.

The frame 31 is provided with upwardly extending side portions, one ofwhich is shown at 33, which extend upwardly past opposite sides of themotor housing 32 and form means by which a handle may be attached to theframe. The sides 33 are connected by a hood 34 spaced from the motorhousing 32 to form a recess in which a light 35 is mounted. The hood 34is extended downwardly and rearwardly at 36 and forwardly and downwardlyat 31 which extensions in cooperation with the motor housing 32 form apair of light transmitting channels 38 and 39. The hood 3 3 is providedwith a socket 40 for rigidly receiving a handle 4 I.

The polisher is shown in its position of use and it is to be noted thatas the angle of the handle changes in use the angle of the light raysprojected onto the surface through the channel 38 also changes. I hearrangement is such that as the angle of the handle changes relative tothe floor the angle of the light rays changes also and the rays may bereflected from the polished sur- ,,f ace to the operators eye dependingupon the handle position. Light rays will also be projected forwardlythrough the channel 39 onto the surface in front of the polisher toilluminate that surface.

From the foregoing it can be seen that according to both modificationsof this invention that as the angle of the handle relative to the floorchanges the angle of the projected light rays also changes so that thoserays may be reflected to the operator's eye a simple manipulation of thehandle whereby the degree of polish applied to the surface will bereadily visible at all times.

While I have shown but two modifications of my invention it is to beunderstood that these embodiments are to be taken as illustrative onlyand not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to theparticular structure shown. and described but to include all equivalentvariations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A floor polisher comprising, a body, power operated polishing meanscarried by said body, said body having front and rear faces and beingadapted to be propelled forwardly during polishing operations, a handleconnected to said body for propelling said polisher over a surface, thearrangement being such that said handle extends upwardly and rearwardlyfrom said body at an acute angle to the surface being polished duringnormal polishing operation and that said angle varies during operationand a light carried by said handle so as to move therewith and beingpositioned to direct light rays downwardly and rearwardly of thepolisher beneath said handle whereby light rays will be reflected uponthe polished surface to the eye of the operator to permit readyinspection of said surface.

2. A floor polisher according to claim 1 in which said handle includes abail pivoted to opposite sides of said body and said light is mounted inthe bight of said bail.

3. A floor polisher according to claim 1 in which said handle is rigidwith said body and together with said body forms a recess in which saidlight is mounted. I

4. A floor polisher according to claim 3 in which the walls of saidrecess in cooperation with said body form light transmitting channelsextending both rearwardly and downwardly and forwardly and downwardly ofsaid handle to illuminate the surface both rearwardly and forwardly ofthe polisher.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,415,254 Maritzen May 9, 1922 2,082,764 Hosier June 1, 19372,114,966 Myers Apr. 19, 1938 2,268,015 Broberg Dec. 30, 1941 2,319,294.Breckenridge May 18, 1943

